Mother's Day 1980
by nannygirl
Summary: Mother's Day has always been a special day for Kitty Forman but this year, with two of her babies being gone, she knows it will be different. Will her remaining baby be able to make the day a good kind of different?
1. Chapter 1

_**Disclaimer: **__I own nothing!_

_**Author's Note: **__Hello Everyone! First off thank you so much for checking this story out, I really hope you enjoy it! But before you do start reading I wanted to say a few quick little things. Now I know I already have a Hyde and Kitty story but I couldn't help doing another one, I love their mother-son relationship and there aren't enough fics out there about the two of them. And yes, yes I know that this fic is kinda late but I got busy with finals and stuff so it kinda threw me off. Also the story does take place in 1980 (duh) a few months after the final but you will notice that Eric is not home, why? Well because I needed him gone so that the fic would work out right lol PLUS they never did say in the finale that he was home to stay (one of the most opened ended finales ever btw) so for this story he did go back to Africa to finish up the year he needed to get the scholarship. I would also like to apologize for this very lengthy this story I didn't mean for it to get so long, honestly. And then once it was done I just couldn't bring myself to cut anything out. I really hope this doesn't discourage you from reading and especially reviewing. And a big thank you goes out to everyone over at That 70's Fan Fic Board who helped me out so much in posting this fic. You all are so very awesome! *hugs* (For link visit my profile page)This story is dedicated to my own mother and all the other moms around the world, Happy (Belated) Mother's Day! I really hope everyone likes this story as I was/am nervous about posting it, please review if you have the chance and check out my AN at the bottom for some more info, wanna end this one so you all can get started on the actual fic, go ahead and cheer with rejoice lol And please, Enjoy!_

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><p>Mother's Day 1980<p>

It was early in the morning, on the second Sunday of the month, and Steven Hyde was lazily making his way up the stairs of the basement. Hyde was never one to wake up in the hours of 'first light' he liked the 'later, afternoon light' better; he hadn't woken up this early since he finished high school. But today was a special day and besides he knew he could never get away with sleeping in as late as he usually did today—it would either be one of The Formans waking him up or his own conscious.

And knowing these things was what had him groggily climbing up the wooden staircase while rubbing his eyes and yawning quite a number of times. He was beyond half asleep and had actually been surprised he'd made it up the stairs without stumbling…well excluding the one stumble he'd made on the fourth step.

As he walked into the doorway that connected the basement to the kitchen he felt another yawn coming on. He shut his eyes and opened his mouth wide to taken in a deep breath but halfway through his actions he opened his eyes and caught sight of a something that he hadn't been expecting. With his mouth still widely agape and a frown indented onto his forehead Hyde stared at the scene before realizing how ridiculous he must have looked, he quickly shut his mouth close before speaking out loud.

"Mrs. Forman?" he said not knowing why it had come out as a question, he knew it was her small frame standing infront of the stove.

Turning her head over her shoulder and flashing a bright Kitty Forman smile, the mother hen welcomed one of her baby chicks into the coop, "Good morning Steven, how are you this morning?"

"Um fine…" Hyde replied still wearing his puzzled expression, "Uh what're you doing up so early?"

"You know that's funny, I was just going to ask you the same thing. I mean after all it is an hour of the day that's single digit and ends with a.m." Kitty teased adding a giggle at the end.

Hyde smirked as he walked further into the kitchen, "Yeah, I figured I'd see the morning sun everyone's been talking about." He gave a shrug as he looked out the sliding door and then back at Kitty, "I don't get what the big deal is."

Kitty let out another small laugh and Hyde continued to smirk until he realized she hadn't answered his question.

"Why're you making breakfast?" he asked, rephrasing his question a bit.

"Steven, I always make breakfast." She reminded with a smile.

"Yeah. I know." Hyde nodded, "But I figured with today being…well, you know what today is."

Nodding as she pulled out one of the frying pans from a bottom cabinet, Kitty gave a tight smile. Of course she knew what today was she'd been celebrating it for over twenty years but this year—unlike all the others—she wasn't exactly looking forward to it.

"Yes, I know what today is." She replied, keeping her smile in place but not looking up at Hyde.

Hyde was actually glad that she didn't have her eyes fixed on him. People staring at him made him nervous, especially when he was about to do something he didn't do on a daily basis, show his softer, caring side. But this was Mrs. Forman, one of the few people he felt most comfortable with and he knew she needed what he was about to do, especially this year.

"Happy Mother's Day, Mrs. Forman." Hyde said with a small smirk—like smile on his lips as he put his left arm around her shoulders as a one-armed hug and gave her quick kiss on the cheek.

When Kitty looked up at Hyde, he immediately noticed the shininess in her eyes and he held his breath hoping that his actions had done good and not more harm. He opened his mouth and got ready to say something, though really had no idea what that something would be, when he saw Kitty's small smile grow into a larger, happier one and he knew he had worried for nothing.

"Ooohhh. Thank you, Steven." She said sincerely as she pulled him down into a hug and placed a kiss on his own cheek, "That really does mean so much to me."

Instead of responding, once Kitty had let him out of her grip, Hyde smiled slightly and gave another shrug not sure of what else to say.

Kitty gave a small laugh at his actions before going back to getting the things ready to prepare breakfast with. The room was filled in a comfortable silence with the exception of the cabinet doors squeaking open and close and the occasional pan hitting against another.

"So I'm guessing no breakfast in bed from Red, huh?" Hyde asked breaking the quietness.

"No, no. Red's never been a 'breakfast in bed' type of person." Kitty began to explain, still wearing her smile, "He says there are only two things you're supposed to do in bed. The first thing is sleeping and the second thing…"

Quickly Hyde lifted up his open palm, "Yeah I'm pretty sure I can figure out the second thing, Mrs. Forman."

Releasing another giggle this time at the expense of her adopted son's look of slight repulsion, Kitty turned herself away from the stove and walked over the old brown refrigerator. Hyde watched her grab the carton of eggs and then make her way back to where he was standing.

He felt bad because he had planned on making Kitty a small Mother's Day breakfast, but apparently you had to get up really, really, _really _early to beat Kitty Forman to her kitchen. Sure preparing a breakfast for Kitty wasn't something Laurie or Eric had done for Kitty for Mother's Day or for her birthday—at least not in the years he'd been living with them—but Hyde did want this day to be a good one for Kitty. She deserved it. And besides maybe it was time for a new tradition.

"Uh Mrs. Forman," he called out, grabbing her attention right away, "It's Mother's Day. Why don't you go back upstairs and sleep in a little longer…I can handle breakfast."

The smile on Kitty face grew even more, "Oh Steven, that is so sweet of you, but really sweetie I don't mind making breakfast today."

Hyde nodded while he watched Kitty expertly crack one of the eggs over the plastic bowl. He knew that had been a long shot, of course she didn't mind making breakfast…she'd been making it nearly everyday for years. And with the response she'd given him, he pretty much had a free pass to go back to bed. Hyde was sure Eric and Laurie and pretty much any other kid would've done just that, and to be honest on any other day he might have too. But not today, not on Mother's Day.

So he gave it another shot.

"Could you use some help?"

Kitty's head popped up and her eyes met with his unshaded ones; he could see the happiness in them and it made him feel proud that he had been the one to put it there.

"I would love some help. That is so thoughtful of you to offer." She said letting out a very tiny giggle. Hyde managed to give a smirk but not much else because a few seconds later Kitty had excitedly grabbed his hand and pulled him closer to the stove top. "Here why don't you work on the eggs, okay?"

"Sure." He agreed, Kitty's giddiness was starting to rub off on him and his smirk was beginning to turn itself into a smile.

While Kitty let out another happy laugh and began to gather up the things to get started on the bacon, Hyde reached into the cardboard egg carton and grabbed one of the eggs, ready to crack it into the bowel Kitty had already started breaking the eggs over. He had no problems with eggs or making them.

Hyde could care less that they came out of a chickens butt and he wasn't allergic to them (though even if he was he wouldn't have done an idiotic stunt like Kelso and drink them raw), plus he'd cooked eggs, among other meals, plenty of times before; back when he was a chef at that hotel and when he was still living with Edna and only had a scarce amount of ingredients. Though he'd been invited to almost every dear at the Forman house during that part of his life he didn't like the thought of him mooching of The Formans. Hyde never liked that thought, which was why he'd gotten the job at The Photohut and paid them rent…never had he thought they'd been putting that money aside and give it back to him the way Red had a few months ago.

Thinking back to that day Hyde was glad he had spent that money on those tickets for Red, they'd helped keep Red and Kitty from moving. And even though he'd acted pretty Zen through the whole thing, he really had no idea what he would've done if they had left.

"This is so nice." Kitty said with a happy sigh, breaking Hyde out of his thoughts. She looked over at him and grinned, "It reminds me of when the kids were little and they use to cook with me in the kitchen."

A confused frown soon appeared on Hyde's forehead as he cracked the last of the needed eggs into the bowl and looked over at Kitty.

"Kids?" he asked sounding puzzled and almost disbelieving, "_Your_ kids?"

Kitty giggled and turned her eyes back to the strips of uncooked bacon, "Yes, my kids Steven."

"Eric _and Laurie_?" Hyde asked again.

It wasn't that he thought Kitty could be lying to him, he just had a hard time grasping the idea of Eric and Laurie helping their mother cook anything in the kitchen—especially since Eric got confused when making a can of _Spaghetti-os_. But picturing Eric cooking with Kitty was a lot easier than picturing Laurie spending any time with her mother.

Instead of responding to her adopted son's question she let her mind wander back to the days when her own biological children were younger and actually enjoyed spending time with her.

"I remember when Laurie was a little girl, oh she was precious, with her big blue eyes and bouncing blonde curls." Kitty shared out loud, smiling as she thought of the little girl Laurie had once been, "Of course even back then she was a 'daddy's girl' with Red, but when Red was at work she was stuck to me like glue, there at my side when I was doing housework and taking care of Eric. Well except when I had to change his diaper, then she insisted on staying out in the hallway because of the smell." She said laughing at the memory.

Hyde smiled back while whisking the egg yolks in the bowl. He could see the scene that Kitty was telling him about; a small blonde little girl following her around the house, eager to help her out in any way—that wasn't too hard to imagine. It was when he thought about that little girl being _Laurie_ that everything else got thrown off.

"But she loved when she got to help me make lunch or dinner…Oh or cupcakes and cookies." She let out a small giggle, "Laurie was just so fascinated with it all, you should've seen her face when she pour in the ingredients and mixed the bowls, she was so concentrated. Back then she use to tell me when she grew up she wanted to be a chef."

As Kitty let out another one of her famous laughs, Hyde couldn't help but join in. It was a funny thought…Laurie Forman saying she wanted to be a chef, especially the Laurie Forman he knew saying she wanted to be a chef.

Maybe Mrs. Forman had started hitting the schnapps a little earlier today…nah it was eight something in the morning that was even too early in the day for her.

Still what she had said about Laurie wanting to be a chef, Hyde just couldn't see Laurie saying that. Maybe something similar like, her wanting to _do_ a chef; but knowing Laurie she'd probably already been there and done that with at least four chefs already.

And while Hyde was thinking these thoughts and others quite similar to them, he held his tongue not wanting to ruin any of the dear memories his adopted mother had of her children and instead let her continue with her story.

"Oh and Eric was just the cutest thing when he was helping me in the kitchen, he looked so adorable in his little apron." Kitty rambled on, her smile even brighter than before.

"Eric had his own apron?" Hyde asked with a smirk, ready to tease his adopted brother the next time he talked to him.

Kitty nodded, "Yup. Both him and Laurie had their own. I made them for them; with their names sewed on and everything…I think they're up in the attic somewhere."

While pouring the yellow egg mixture into one of unused pans, Hyde gave his own nod. Making her kids their own aprons did sound like something Kitty would do.

"Although I think Eric always liked baking over cooking." Kitty continued, pulling Hyde back into the kitchen just in time for him to hear that statement.

"Really?" the curly haired young man asked, stifling a laugh, "Eric and "baking"…who would've thought."

The comment went right over Kitty's head as she simply nodded and went on with what she was saying while still keeping an eye on the sizzling strips of bacon in the oily pan.

"It's true." She smiled, "But I think he liked taste testing even more." She said with another giggle.

Hyde gave a smirk just as a question popped into his mind. "So what happened?"

Kitty turned her head from the stovetop and over at Hyde, staring at him for a few seconds before shrugging her shoulders slightly and turning away. He didn't need to elaborate his question; she knew what he was asking.

"Well with Red being Red, he thought Eric should spend more of his time doing things that other boys were doing." She explained to her second son, "That was when he tried to make Eric into an athlete and…well you know how that went."

"Yup." Hyde nodded not being able to hide the smirk on his lips, "One of the biggest fails in Point Place history."

The smirk almost instantly dropped away when Kitty sent a sideways glare in Hyde's direction and he swiftly shifted his eyes over to the eggs that were now becoming cooked and fluffy, he continued to scramble them some more with the wooden spoon.

"Anyways," Kitty went on, erasing her warning glare and softening her face again, "after that Eric wasn't so interested in doing anything in the kitchen expect eating. He started spending more time with you kids, which I thought was really just wonderful, and he developed more 'boy' interests. And with Laurie…she developed an interest _in_ boys."

Hyde's smirk reappeared at the last statement, even though he couldn't help but feel a bit guilty at the fact that him and the rest of the ganging coming around was part the reason that Eric had stopped spending so much time with his mother.

"Have you heard from Eric today?" Hyde asked curiously.

"No." Kitty replied but kept her voice in chipper tone, "But it's still early and besides it's late in the evening over in Africa right now so Eric probably won't call until later on in the day."

Again Hyde nodded but this time it wasn't done just to agree with Kitty or to keep himself from saying anything that might upset her; he nodded because he believed what she was saying. Eric would call her eventually.

It didn't matter that he was thousands of miles away in another country; it was still Mother's Day over here. And Hyde knew that Eric loved his mother, he may not have always shown his appreciation for her but he knew that he loved her and wouldn't let her down by forgetting to call on Mother's Day. Hyde also knew that Eric wouldn't forget that today was Mother's Day; both Eric and Red had learned what happened when they forgot a holiday that was important to Kitty, and Hyde was pretty sure they didn't want a repeat of it…ever again.

"I did get a card from Laurie though." Kitty said out loud.

Hyde shook his head, making sure he'd heard right and that it wasn't part of the thoughts he'd gotten lost in for a few seconds.

"Seriously?" he asked in disbelief.

Kitty smiled and nodded, "It's over on the table there."

Following the older woman's arm to where it was gesturing towards the round table, Hyde saw the lone envelope resting on the tabletop. He took Kitty's words and gesture as an invitation to check out the card himself, so he turned off the burner that had been cooking the now prepared eggs and stepped over to the breakfast nook area.

He picked up the envelope and then placed his fingers into the neatly cut incision at the top before pulling out the store bought card.

It was a light pink color with a picture that looked hand drawn—but of course wasn't—of a white vase full of purple flowers. There was no writing on the cover which made Hyde even more curious to see what was written on the inside, a few seconds later he opened the card up and read the message inside.

'_Hope your Mother's Day Blooms with Happiness!_' it read in a purple cursive like font.

That part had obviously been part of the card when it was bought, but there had been a little something that Laurie had written in herself, underneath the prewritten message, in her own black pen and cursive handwriting.

'_XOXO Laurie_'

Like said before, _a little _something.

"Isn't it sweet?" Kitty asked from where she was still standing at the stove.

Hyde twisted himself around to look at her and when he saw her happy grin he couldn't bring himself to tell her his real thoughts about the card.

"Uh…" he struggled for a few seconds, "yeah."

Knowing that Hyde had only given that response to make her happy made Kitty's smile grow even more.

"Now I know it's not much," she began to say, "but after not hearing from her in so long it's so nice to at least know she's…well, alive!" she laughed, "And not in jail."

"I don't know Mrs. Forman." Hyde said as he eyed the envelope that the card came with, "I'll give you the alive part but this envelope doesn't have a return address…"

Kitty turned her head and saw the envelope that Hyde was lifting up to her while pointing at the empty paper left hand corner; but she only laughed a small laugh while shaking her head and waving her hand in his direction. Hyde smiled back not being able to hold in his own laugh as he dropped the letter back onto the surface of the table.

"Anything else I can do, Mrs. Forman?"

"Well let's see, you finished with the eggs, and I've got the bacon going…" Kitty said as she searched around her kitchen for a task she could give the boy she'd long ago accepted as her second son and done so with open arms, "Oh could you make a few slices of toast for me?"

"Sure." Hyde nodded in agreement before grabbing the loaf of bread and heading to the shiny silver toaster.

While he was glad to be able to help out Kitty a little bit with breakfast, he wished she'd given him some bigger tasks. Making scrambled eggs and toasting a few pieces of bread he could do in his sleep! Besides it was Mother's Day and Hyde felt that he should have been doing the bigger jobs while Kitty got the simpler ones so that she could relax, if even just a little bit. But he remembered that this was Kitty Forman, a woman who enjoyed making breakfast for her family—and Hyde wasn't about to take another thing away from her on this day.

"Thank you Steven, you don't even have to make so many. Just about four or so." She informed as she looked over her shoulder while moving pieces of cooked bacon onto a nearby plate, "And then while you do that I'll get started on the blueberry waffles."

Hyde smirked in response even though Kitty didn't see it; she was preoccupied with gathering the supplies and ingredients she needed for the next breakfast food she was about to prepare.

From the sidelines by the toaster Hyde watched her actions; pouring the various ingredients into a bowl in measurements that only she knew, mixing them up, and never once looking at a recipe on the back of a waffle mix box…there wasn't even one anywhere near her and probably not one in the entire house either.

"Where'd you learn to do that?" he asked as Kitty put a cup of flour into the bowl.

"Do what, Steven?" she asked as she continued to mix the batter.

"Make breakfast."

"Oh Steven," Kitty said almost bashfully, "Plenty of people know how to make breakfast."

Hyde shook his head, keeping his eyes on her, "Plenty of people know how to pour a bowl of cereal, or scramble some eggs, make a few pieces of toast or frozen waffles, and pancakes from the instant mix stuff." He declared, "You pretty much make all your stuff from scratch. Where did you learn all this stuff?"

"Well," Kitty started to say as she stared into the mixture in the bowl before turning her neck to look over at Hyde and smiled, "I learned from my grandmother. She—unlike my mother—was a very sweet woman."

"Sure, she was." Hyde was quick to agree, even though he'd never met the woman or heard about her before; he did however have another piece of information about Mrs. Forman's family, "Evil skips a generation, remember?"

Kitty released another Kitty laugh into the air, "That's right." she agreed and then took a small pause before beginning her second story.

"You see when my sister, Paula, and I were little we would always go to my grandmother's house sometimes for just a quick visit and other times to stay the night over. I always liked it better when we stayed over night because then come morning she would always have us help her make breakfast. Actually_ help_ her and not just watch her do everything while she explained the steps, the way my mother tried to teach us how to cook."

"When Paula and I got to cook with our grandmother we got to take part in it all. Measure and add the ingredients, mix them up and pour them out, and make plenty of messes." Kitty drifted off a bit as the corners of her mouth tugged upwards, "My grandmother never minded when us kids made a mess, she actually encouraged it and usually helped make them. She always used to tell us that kids weren't having fun unless they were making a mess."

As Kitty let out another giggle Hyde found himself joining in on the laughter with his own faint laugh while he took out the two—now toasted—slices of bread from the toaster and replaced them with two more.

"Even when I got older I continued going over to her house and then we'd have our own little cooking classes." She giggled slightly, "She taught me so many different recipes."

"Like your Swedish pancakes?" Hyde questioned, wearing a smirk on his lips as he thought about the infamous breakfast meal.

"No, no." Kitty shook her head, "That recipe came from my grandmother on my father's side. This grandmother was the one who gave me the recipe for those chocolate peanut butter cookies you love so much though."

"Really?"

Kitty grinned, "Mm-hmm"

"Huh." he said in response, wearing a small thinking scowl on his forehead as placed the second pair of toast onto the small plate, "I never even met the woman but already she's my favorite relative from your side of the family."

"Oh she was such a wonderful woman." Kitty shared out loud when suddenly her smile faded just slightly and her tone of voice didn't sound as joyful as before, "She passed away a few months after Laurie was born."

Hyde remained silent. It wasn't that he didn't want to say anything he just didn't feel the need to say anything, and he had a good feeling that Mrs. Forman didn't expect him to say anything. She wasn't sharing this information with him for sympathy or to get any comments or remarks from him, she was sharing this with him because she wanted to.

"She had been sick for awhile by then but I was so happy that she had been able to see Laurie and be there to help me out in those first few months. Especially when it came to dealing with my mother."

"What do you mean?" Hyde decided to ask a question partly to ensure Kitty that he was still paying attention and the other part being because he was curious.

Kitty whipped away the last of the lumps in batter while she answered Hyde's question, "Well being a first time mother is nerve-racking alone and it doesn't help when you have your mother beside you telling you everything you're doing wrong. I was either not holding Laurie enough or holding her too much. I was letting her sleep too much, I wasn't letting her sleep enough. It drove me crazy!"

"So then your grandmother stepped in?"

"That's right." Kitty said with a nod, "She stepped in and made me realize that I did know what I doing and that I could handle it. And whenever Laurie cried she never told me what I needed to do because she knew that I knew what to do and didn't need hers or anyone else's help. She was the one who gave me the confidence and made me believe that I could be a good mother."

Listening to Kitty's story Hyde didn't know how to feel. He was surprised to find out that there had been a time when Kitty had been worried about being a mother, the way she acted towards her own children and himself along with the rest of gang he'd always figured she was the type of woman who was born and ready to be a mother. He also found himself feeling a bit upset at the thought of someone thinking that Mrs. Forman wasn't a good mother—even if it was her own mother—because she was a good mother, who needed to be told that more often.

At that thought Hyde made a mental note to try and do that very thing himself and maybe even hint at Eric about doing the same. He then took a few nervous steps forward, towards his adopted mother, deciding to put this resolution into action a lot sooner.

"Mrs. Forman." He called and she looked up at him, "Your grandmother was right. You are a good mother. You're a great mother."

"Oh Steven." Kitty said as another tight and teary-eyed smile appeared on her face.

And before Hyde knew it Kitty had thrown her arms around him and pulled him into a very tight hug. At first he pretended to be a bit bothered and act like he was being squished tightly—which wasn't too far from the truth—but after a few seconds passed he put his own arms around Kitty's smaller frame and returned the hug. Not nearly as tight, of course.

'_And I wish you were my own mom.'_ He thought to himself while still holding onto the old woman that those words were meant for.

Kitty pulled out of the embrace just abit and looked at Hyde with her lips still stretched out into a smile that Hyde returned with his own tiny form of one. When Kitty let him out of the hu, the plate of stacked slices of bread resting on the counter caught her attention.

"Oh you finished making the toast. That was fast." She said, trying to hide the disappointment in her tone and eyes by turning away and busying herself with the sizzling pieces of bacon.

"Yeah." Hyde answered, as he watched her and could sense she was trying to hide something.

"You know Steven," Kitty began to say, breaking him away from the train of thoughts that were helping lead him to an idea, "you can go back to your room now and get a little more sleep. You're still a growing boy who needs his eight hours of sleep. I'll call you up when everything's ready."

A smirk crawled its way to Hyde's mouth. While Kitty still seeing them as kids bugged the heck out of Eric, Hyde actually found it a bit comforting. It was nice to know that someone still cared about him and made sure he was taken care.

"Uh…nah, it's cool Mrs. Forman." He replied, he knew she would be let down if he left and the truth was he might feel the same way; he was enjoying this quality time between the two of them. "I think I'll hang out here a little while longer. If you don't mind that is." He added, never wanting to over stay his welcome, "I still gotta butter the toast anyways."

Kitty's face lighted up again, "Of course I don't mind Steven. Here I'll get you the butter." She announced before walking over to the fridge.

Once Kitty handed the butter tray to Hyde along with a silver butter knife, the kitchen became silent. It was silence that Hyde found both relaxing and comfortable. It wasn't like the other moments of silence that he'd found himself in lately, the types that were tense and each of parties seemed to be abit edgy. The soundless moments that Hyde shared with Kitty before had always had the same comforting feel to them, he never felt any force or any type of pressure, he felt like he could just be himself, say what he need say and not ever be judged for it; he felt the way a child should feel when with their mother.

Kitty was also enjoying the peaceful moment but all the talking they had previously done had been about her and she had a certain topic she had been meaning to discuss with him.

"So Steven, did you hear the talk at the water cooler?" she asked with a small giggle.

Hyde looked up from the toast he was buttering, "What? About Dan from _'Days of Our Lives'_ waking up from that coma?"

"Oh Steven, don't be silly." Kitty said waving her hand in her direction, "That's a soap and I'm talking about real life. Besides he just got in that coma last week he'll be in there for another three months or so."

A small chuckle escaped Hyde's mouth before Kitty went on.

"I'm talking about the latest news about Fez and Jackie." she explained while eyeing him carefully.

"Oh." Was all he managed to say before putting on his armor of Zen, and being sure to avoid his surrogate mother's eyes. If anyone could see past his Zen it was her, "Yeah, I heard. Fez told me the other day."

"And?"

The curly haired man's brows scrunched together, "And what?"

"What do you think about it?" Kitty elaborated her question.

"Honestly." Hyde said looking back up from the toasted bread, "They lasted a lot longer than I thought they would."

Kitty tried to send a disapproving glance his way, but couldn't bring herself to make even make one, "You too, huh?"

Hyde only shrugged his shoulders, not bothering to say anything. He wasn't at all surprised to learn that Kitty had the same thoughts as he did on the whole Jackie and Fez thing…or as Fez had nicknamed them 'Jaz.' The whole 'relationship' was a joke and he doubted anyone thought it could ever be anything serious, and he included both Fez and Jackie in that statement.

"Soo, what are you going to do?" Kitty asked smiling widely.

But the large grin only confused Hyde.

"Nothing." He said not at all sure why she had asked that.

"Nothing?" she repeated, her smile now gone, "Steven you can't do nothing. You have to do something."

The young man still didn't understand and his puzzlement was growing but he wasn't sure he wanted to know the real reason behind his surrogate mother's questions.

"Like what, Mrs. Forman? Throwing a party doesn't really seem appropriate." Hyde started to say but paused a few seconds to rethink his words, "Well maybe I could put one together for Fez, you know celebrate him getting rid of Jackie."

Hyde's joke did not sit well with Kitty and the look in her eyes told him so. His smirk quickly vanished while Kitty continued to glare in his direction as she moved her hands on her hips.

"I am not talking about Fez. I'm talking about Jackie."

"Why would I throw Jackie a par…" Hyde began to ask but stopped mid-sentence when he suddenly realized why Kitty was bringing this up.

'_Uh-o.'_ he thought to himself as he quickly searched for a quick exit.

"Alright well I'm done with the toast, Mrs. Forman." He announced, his eyes on the basement entrance, "Just call me up when you and Red start eating…"

Trying to be as quick as possible Hyde walked past Kitty and over to the doorway when all of a sudden a dainty hand grabbed onto his forearm. He heaved a heavy sigh and closed his eyes, cursing himself for second guessing his first plan of sprinting to the exit, and allowed Kitty to pull him over towards the kitchen table.

"No, no, no. You are staying right here, Steven." Kitty declared before lightly shoving him towards an empty chair, "Now sit down and we'll figure out what it is that you'll say to Jackie."

Hyde literally dropped himself into the seat, "Mrs. Forman, I'm not talking to Jackie. Especially about anything you're already thinking up." He said as he only imagined what plans were stirring up in her head but already they worried him; he sighed, "There's no reason for me to."

"Oh of course there is, Steven. A very good reason too." Kitty argued with a smile as she sat herself into the chair next to Hyde, "You're still in love with her."

A look of surprise and slight panic crossed over Hyde's face for a second or two before he quickly covered it with his Zen mask and hoped Kitty hadn't noticed his previous expression. When he saw the even larger smile on her face, he knew it was too late…but he wasn't going down without a fight.

"No, I'm not." He declared.

"Yes, you are." Kitty chimed right back.

Hyde frowned, "No, I'm not Mrs. Forman."

"_Yes, you are Steven_." She said almost singing it.

"No Mrs. Forman, I'm…"

"Steven, don't make me shoot you again." Kitty teased as she cut him off.

Immediately Hyde knew what she was referring to. Veterans Day. The day they had a very similar discussion about Jackie in this same room, Hyde had told Kitty that if he did like Jackie then she should shoot him—and she did. The day he had punched out that dumbass Chip guy. The day he and Jackie had their first date. The day he and Jackie had their first kiss…

"Okay, okay," Kitty said pulling Hyde out of the memory of the night in the woods, on Jackie's dad's Lincoln and back to the kitchen, "Maybe you're not still in love with Jackie, but you do still have feelings for her and care about her…not in the _'in love' _way but in the way you care for Donna and Laurie…" Kitty paused realizing that her daughter may not have been the best example, "and Donna. Right?"

"Yeah, I guess." He admitted. It was the truth, whether they were together or not, he did still care about Jackie and didn't want to see her hurt, "But that doesn't mean I'm still in love with her." He was quick to add in.

The mother hen nodded her head, "Right." She agreed before a cheerful smile sprung to her face again, "But it also doesn't mean you're _not_ still in love with her."

Hyde shut his eyes and resisted the urge to drop his head smack down on the table, causing Kitty to laugh with amusement.

"Oh Steven, you can't fool me. I was the one who pointed out that you liked her back on that Veterans Day, remember? And I was right then wasn't I?"

Hyde opened his eyes but kept his mouth closed.

"I'll take that as a 'yes.'" Kitty said still smiling, "And I'm right now aren't I?"

Silence again.

The grin on Kitty's face grew once more, "I'll take that as another 'yes.'" She said with a light giggle.

Slowly, Hyde moved his gaze up from the spot on the table he'd been staring at and over at Kitty, "How did you know?"

Kitty's smile softened as she began to speak, "Steven, I have known you for almost your whole life. I can read you just as easily as I can read my own children." Hyde had to return the smile when he heard that comment, "And I also got a pretty big hit on New Years. The way you crushed that beer can in your hands when you saw the two of them kissing, I was sure that I was going to have to have Red hold you back."

Hyde gave the shiest of smiles. If anyone else had caught his actions that night he would have been embarrassed on the inside and denied it left and right on the outside, but with Kitty he didn't feel the need for either of those things. And if someone had to catch him and the jealous way he'd been acting, Hyde was glad it had been Mrs. Forman.

As his thoughts traveled back to that night not too long ago, Hyde remembered why he'd only crushed the beer can and not done anything else. He remembered the reason he hadn't gone to talk to Jackie when she and Fez announced that they were together or before that or since he witnessed that New Years kiss of theirs.

"Mrs. Forman, even if_ if_ I did talk to Jackie, it wouldn't do anything good. Nothing would change because nothing has changed." Hyde shared one of his worries without actually addressing it as a worry—he knew Kitty would figure it out on her own.

"Jackie and I weren't good together…I mean we were good together." He was quick to change that statement around 'We were damn good together.' He thought but kept on with what he had to say, "But we wanted different things. And that's why we broke up. Jackie was ready to get married and I wasn't…I'm still not."

Though Kitty listened to most of Hyde's words with an unbiased ear, when she said his last statement she couldn't help the scowl that became indented on her forehead.

"Steven James Hyde, you know that is not true." She said in a stern and almost scolding tone, "Jackie never said that she wanted to get married then and there. All she wanted was to know if she was in your future, if the two of you had a future together."

Hyde sighed, "But..."

"I know, I know." Kitty cut in raising her hand sin the air a little, "You're a young man who doesn't know what his future holds for him, you have a future that can change completely at any time. And because you do, you choose to imagine all the different ways that your future could turn out; but you still have no clue as to which one of those thoughts will turn into your actual future."

"Yeah." Hyde nodded and was ready to add more but Kitty wasn't finished.

"_However_." She said in that motherly lecture done of voice, "I am willing to bet a thousand dollars that Jackie was in a few of those scenarios that you pictured as your future."

There was silence again and it caused Kitty's grin to grow as she went on.

"And I am also willing to bet twice that amount of money that in not one of those scenarios did you see yourself married to a stripper."

Hyde looked over and saw Kitty looking at him with raised eyebrows and he couldn't help but smirk at the burn she'd made on him—it was a pretty good one. But he still wasn't persuaded enough to go see Jackie or even pick the phone to give her a call.

"Even if I did change my thoughts about my future to one that had Jackie in it, it's too late." He said shifting his eyes down to his hands, "She hates me."

"Steven, honey, Jackie does not hate you." Kitty said in a comforting voice as she placed her hand on his arm.

"Yeah she does. She's told me." He said keeping his gaze downwards, "I can count all the times she told me she hated me since we broke up on one hand." 'And remember each amount of pain it gave.'

Kitty continued to smile her reassuring smile, "I'm sure you can. Just like I'm sure Red can't count on _both hands_ all the times I said I hated him." She paused and her smile turned into an even bigger one, "And that's just counting the times from when I was in labor with the kids."

As the older woman broke out into another one of her unique laughs Hyde joined in with his own chuckle as he thought about the picture that had been painted for him. But then the laughter from the two of them died down and Hyde looked back up at his surrogate mother.

"Why are we even talking about this now?" he questioned, "It's Mother's Day, we should be talking about you and…other Mother's Day things." He ended on a weak note that made Kitty giggle.

"And things that I, _the mother_, want to talk about. This is one of the things I want to talk about." She informed in a serious tone of voice before an idea entered her head and quickly became very excited, even patting her palms on the tabletop a few times, "Oo Oo Oo! You talking to Jackie could be my Mother's Day present from you."

The expression on Hyde's face fell flat as he watched the giddy blonde woman in front of him.

"Uh…Mrs. Forman, I…I don't think so. I…" he struggled to find something to change the subject to, "How about a diamond necklace instead?"

Kitty smiled and released a soft laugh.

"Steven, I would choose my children's happiness over a diamond necklace any day of the year. And I see you as one of my own children." She said giving his hand a slight squeeze, "I want you to be happy, sweetie."

Hyde just stared back at Kitty; her words had meant so much to him. She said she saw him as one of her own children, he had a feeling that she'd always felt that way by her actions—taking care of him when he was sick or hurt, making him his favorite meals on his birthday, taking him out to buy a needed jacket (even if she had bought him the tackiest one in Point Place)—but it was always nice to hear the actual words too. And she wanted him to be happy, more than she wanted a diamond necklace. If he'd made that offer to Edna she would've taken it in a split second and later sell off the necklace for cash to buy who knows what.

At last he nodded his head, "I'll think about it."

"Okay." Kitty replied trying to contain her smile, "That's good enough for me."

She then stood up from her chair and bent down to place a quick kiss on Hyde's forehead; and this time it was Hyde who tried to contain his smile. After letting go of her adopted son's head she went back over to the stove, practically skipping over there. Her mother's intuition was telling her that he was going to do more than just think about the idea she'd put into his head.

"So Mrs. Forman," he called out, more than ready to change the subject, "what've you got planned for this Mother's Day?"

"Well, I'll be leaving to church in a little while and there are a couple of errands that I need to get done." She replied after a small sigh, but kept her smile on her face, "But I won't get started on any of those until I hear from Eric."

Hyde merely nodded his head and Kitty noticed this.

"Why?"

"Nah, it's nothing." Hyde said in his zen manner and matching shrug, "I was just wondering if you maybe, between your phone call from Eric and the errands, you'd wanna go out for lunch. My treat…kinda like a Mother's Day Lunch."

The corners of Kitty's mouth travel upwards, "I would love that, Steven."

"Cool." He responded with a nod and a smirk.

The way Hyde had given his reply made Kitty smile. It was the same way he would reply to some of her questions or statements when he was a little boy. The word 'Cool' was said in the same tone of voice, only deeper than when he was younger. He still wore the playful and mischievous smile on his lips and those blue eyes of his showed how excited and happy he was really feeling.

Kitty closed her own stinging eyes to keep in the tears. Her babies were growing up. And no matter how many times she thought the thought, it never failed to make her at least abit misty-eyed. By the time she opened her eyes backup, she found Hyde walking over towards her.

"Hey Mrs. Forman, you think you could teach me how to make those waffles?" he asked but then caught the sight of the uncooked batter on the counter, "Or is it too late, cuz…"

"Oh don't be silly, Steven." Kitty interrupted, "Sure I already made some batter for one batch but you can never have too many waffles." She said with a laugh that made Hyde smile, "Why don't you get that bowl over there?"

Hyde reached over to the dish rack and grabbed the plastic bowl that Kitty had been talking about; bring it over to the counter area so that their first cooking lesson could begin.

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><p><em><strong>Author's Note: <strong>__So what did you think? Yay? Nay? Applause? Silence? Please lemme know what you think. I would really, really like to hear from you especially your opinion about what I have to say next._

_Did you all notice that there was no 'The End'? Well that's because it's not the end :-) See I have a part two to add to this but because of the very large word count esp for a 'oneshot' it was better to split it in two…I think. So this is a 'two shot' maybe I'll stretch it out some more if a lot of people want me to even, but for now it's just the two chapters. This one and the one I'm putting finishing touches on and don't worry it is alot shorter than this one. I plan on posting the second part soon, not sure when, but I do know that reviews help me work faster *wink*_

_Ok I'm going now because I know I've rambled on long enough and apologize for that and for the lengthy chapter as well but I do hope you enjoyed it and will be back for part two!_

_Until next time, thanks for reading, hope you liked, please review and lemme know what you think, stay tuned, see you next time, take care, and have a nice day!_


	2. Chapter 2

_**Disclaimer: **__I own nothing!_

_**Author's Note: **__Hello everyone! How are you? Hope all is well! If not hopefully this cheers you up a bit. Finally I bring you part 2 of "Mother's Day 1980"I am so very sorry for taking so long to post this second part. I really didn't think it would take so long to finish but then I got busy with family stuff and then trying to get on a normal sleeping schedule. Ironically these past two days when I've worked on the story the most is when I've had an actual normal schedule. Go figure lol. Anywoo I would like to say a big THANK YOU to all of you who reviewed the first part. I am so glad you enjoyed it! All your kind words really made me smile. *hugs* You all are just awesome, really. I hope you enjoy this part too and will review it as well. And if you're reading this and dint' review part one no worries, you feel free to drop a review this time around! I really hope you will, it'll mean so much to me. Also one more thing, this second part of the story is actually different from the first part and different from most of my stories as well…if you've read my stories before you'll see what I mean. But I do hope you'll still enjoy it! And really if you could leave a review it would mean soo much to me right now I had a pretty stressful morning with my fanfics but more on that later…I've kept you long enough. Go on. Enjoy!_

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><p>The cooking lesson had been a success and was very enjoyable for both Hyde and Kitty.<p>

For Hyde, he was glad he'd asked Kitty if she had the time five him a quick class instead of letting the words stay in his head as a mere idea. It'd been awhile since he had cooked anything in any kitchen, and it wasn't until he was adding in the milk to the flour that he realized how much he missed it. Plus there was the fact that his surrogate mother, who had been only encouraging and patient throughout the session,—unlike his friends, who he knew would mock and tease him if they were in the room. At least until he gave them a good frog on the arm.—was in the room and teaching him the recipe to one of his favorite foods added to his gladness.

Kitty had been thrilled from the moment Hyde had suggested the idea and that feeling never once died down. It had been so nice to give a cooking lesson where at the end of it she didn't feel any frustration, a pounding headache, or the need to make herself a very strong drink. And of course she loved spending time with one of her babies and teaching him something that she loved doing. Kitty's mind had drifted back a few times to when it had been Laurie or Eric in the kitchen with her, but when she did she also realized that even though she held those memories deep in her heart, this cooking session with Hyde may have been just a tad bit better.

Hyde was much older than Eric and Laurie were when they helped her in the kitchen and so he could do more things on his own, pouring the batter into the iron without having Kitty hold onto the bowl as a guide. The differences in the age also gave the possibility that Hyde would remember the steps and ingredients, and the thought of her grandmother's recipe being past down to another generation made Kitty's smile beam with happiness.

It was a good few minutes after the waffles had been finished that Red joined the two in the kitchen. The trio then sat down to have their breakfast and some light family chatter. Neither Hyde nor Kitty ever mentioned to Red about the two sets of waffles and Red never said anything about a difference in taste—Hyde took that as a great compliment

After breakfast Red and Kitty took off for church. Hyde had considered going with them, he really had, but he knew he was going to be spending most of his day with Mrs. Forman anyway and he needed a little time to himself to think about a few things.

The Mass had been a beautiful one where towards the end The Pastor asked each of the mothers to stand and receive a round of applause. It wasn't until after the services when Kitty and Red were walking back to the Toyota, that she noticed the young mothers holding the hands of their children while the little ones rambled on about what they had planned for her that day; that was also when Kitty felt a slight tugging on her heart.

Red Forman knew this years Mother's Day was not going to be easy for his wife. He knew it when she gave him a small tight smile when he opened the car door for her before they left the church. He knew it when he caught her rereading the card their daughter had sent her at least four times in one hour. He knew it when she never gave one hint about a possible Mother's Day gift. However, his biggest clue was when she didn't mark the date on the family calendar.

And Red Forman never liked seeing his wife upset in any way. It was like he told those dumbasses that continued to populate his basement; when she was unhappy, he was unhappy. So in attempt brighten her day a little and cheer her up just a bit he bought her a Mother's Day gift he knew she would like and gave it to her when they got home.

A bouquet of pink roses and a bottle of perfume that she had been after for awhile now.

Kitty had of course smiled, thanked her husband for the presents, and gave him a well deserved kiss. She really loved the gifts, the flowers were beautiful and the perfume had actually been the correct one, but there was still that part of her that kept thinking about her absent son and daughter.

Luckily before she could start thinking too much about either one of them, the phone rang.

It was her Baby Boy calling from Africa.

For a good half hour Kitty sat in the kitchen chair she had pulled up closer to the yellow wall phone, after the first fifteen minutes of their conversation. Right away Eric had wished her a 'Happy Mother's Day' and then gone on to tell her that he felt bad that he wasn't there with her. Kitty had smiled through her happy tears as she assured him that it was ok just as long as he promised her that he'd be home for next years Mother's Day. Eric made the promise—meaning his words—but after that the topic of Mother's Day had been dropped.

Eric had changed the subject by asking how everyone in Point Place was and then Kitty informed him of any new details that she hadn't written in one of her letters to him yet. Then Eric started to tell his mother about all the things he had seen in the past week, he told her about activities he had done, and the children he was working with. As Eric shared his new experiences, Kitty smiled and nodded along, completely captivated by the adventures her son was having—but was still sure to throw in reminders for him to be careful.

Forty-five minutes had passed since they had started their talk but it still seemed too soon for Kitty when Eric told her had to go because he was going on a nature walk with some of the kids. Mother and son said their goodbyes and Eric wished her a 'Happy Mother's Day' one more time before the two hung up.

Usually after Kitty finished her phone calls with her son she would right away start missing him all over again; however this time around her mind was quickly sidetracked keeping her from thinking about Eric again. At almost the exact second that Kitty placed the receiver onto its hook the kitchen's glass side door slid open by a smiling visitor.

It had been Fez.

The foreign young man had dropped by to tell Kitty 'Happy Mother's Day,' drop off a small bunch of little white daisies he'd bought her, and ask if she had made any cookies. Hyde, who had entered the kitchen sometime during the end of Kitty's phone conversation with Eric, had given Fez a good punch in the shoulder for that last one.

However, Kitty had just laughed and because she never could turn away a hungry child—especially one asking for her cooking—she gathered up the ingredients to make her famous snickerdoodle cookies.

And unlike the times before when the boys would go down to the basement to do…whatever it was that they did down there while Kitty worked on the cookies, Hyde and Fez had remained seated at the kitchen table, after deciding to keep Kitty company with their conversations. They had talked about several things, from what Eric had been up to in Africa to the latest gossip swirling around Point Place. Of course Hyde tuned in and out during that last one.

Then after eating a dozen and a half of the cookies, himself alone, Fez said that he had to go off to work.

Just as the foreigner was leaving the kitchen two more of Kitty's basement babies made their entrance; Donna and Jackie.

The girls had stopped by to also tell Kitty 'Happy Mother's Day' and had planned on making the visit be a quick one but when they saw the freshly baked cookie, the coffee already made, and having Mrs. Forman insist they stay for a few minutes both of the young women made themselves comfortable in the cushioned kitchen chairs.

This was around the same time that Hyde went up to Kitty and offered to run those errands she had told him about earlier in the morning. Kitty had of course politely declined the offer, reminding her adopted son that she could do it herself later on. But she wasn't dumb, she knew exactly why Hyde had suddenly offered to run out and take care of the errands—he was avoiding a certain brunette in the room. Though after a few minutes of thinking about it, Kitty realized it would be nice to not have to run around later on in the day so she gave him the list of chores and hoped that Hyde was just avoiding Jackie because he needed some more time—some more time meaning more minutes, hours, maybe even days but nothing over that or she was going to have to have another talk with him.

As soon as the list was in Hyde's hands he dashed out of room and didn't look back. Kitty shook her head at the actions and both Donna and Jackie displayed puzzled expressions on their faces but then quickly shook them off before catching Kitty up on the things going on in their lives. Donna's college life in Madison and Jackie's new job at the TV station. She wasn't on air with her own show as she'd always dreamed, nor was she back to being an assistant for Christine St. George, instead she was the make up artist for the news anchors—it was a job she very much enjoyed.

An hour or two had passed when Jackie and Donna waved their goodbyes and then headed back over to Jackie and Fez's apartment. Kitty waved back at the girls until they were in Donna's car and went back to setting aside the remaining cookies for Red and Steven, pretending that she didn't notice that Hyde had enter the kitchen with a grocery bag only a few seconds after Jackie and Donna drove off.

Keeping her lips sealed about Hyde's actions Kitty thanked him for running the errands and took the bag from The Piggly Wiggly in her arms. She started pulling the items from the bag and then putting them in their places in the various cabinets; Hyde soon jumped in to help her, knowing that the task would get down a lot quicker with two pairs of hands instead of just one.

Once everything had been put into it's appropriate spot Kitty grabbed her purse and kissed her husband goodbye before she and Hyde left to their Mother's Day Lunch.

They had decided to have their lunch at one of the family atmosphere diners in town, where apparently a good number Point Place's other citizens had decided to have a Mother's Day Lunch at too. Though despite the many families and children dinning with their mothers, Kitty's mind never drifted off to any thoughts on her children who weren't there to spend the day with her; it stayed with the one who was there and had made time to spend with her on her day.

The lunch had gone very nicely; the food was delicious and the conversation was light. The topic of Hyde's actions in the kitchen and any other topics related to him talking to Jackie never came up. Kitty had planned on bringing it up but with all the other things they discussed it had completely slipped her mind.

Hyde talked about how things were going at Grooves, the different music displays he planned on putting up and how Leo had spent had the money in the register on Girl Scout cookies the other day. Kitty had done her own talking about work, telling a few short tales on some patients but mostly sharing the idea she had started playing around with about her taking some time off from the hospital and get a taste of retirement life with Red. Hyde had been supportive of the idea and even made the statement that if any two people needed a vacation it was her and Red.

During their meal Kitty and Hyde had also reminisced a little about the days when Hyde and the others were younger. Remembering thing like the time Kelso got his head stuck in the living room stairway's barrier, when Donna had pushed Eric off the highest diving board at the public pool, and when the family had taken a boat out onto the lake and Hyde had gotten seasick—a memory Hyde kept insisting didn't happen.

Hyde also let Kitty go on about more stories from her younger days. He knew most kids moaned and zoned out whenever their parents talked about their younger days and how the minute the words 'when I was a kid' left their parents mouth they opened both their ears—so that the words would go in one and then straight out the other—but Hyde enjoyed listening to what his surrogate mother had to say.

Most of the time Kids didn't like listening to the 'When I was a Kid' stories from their parents because their parents weren't kids anymore and it was hard for them to picture them as such; this went the same for Hyde, it was a little difficult to think of Red or Kitty as being his age but at the same time it was interesting because they had been, and what made it even more interesting was hearing about the things they'd done and being able to relate it to things he and the other's had done too….maybe not relatable word for word but the concept was still there…in a way.

Plus it gave him a better insight and made him understand Kitty a little more, making him wonder if Edna had ever shared this type of stuff with him if he'd have a better understanding of her…not that it would change much anyways.

After lunch Hyde and Kitty had returned home to find an unexpected visitor waiting in the kitchen. Actually two unexpected visitors.

Michael and Little Betsy Kelso.

Red had thrown them, well actually just Kelso, out of the living room after he asked for a laundry basket so he and Betsy could sit in and then slide down the living room stairs in it.

Kitty had been surprised at first but then went into full hostess mode and welcomed the two of them with open arms. Also happy to see his old friend and goddaughter Hyde gave the tall lug a quick manly hug before asking what he was doing in town.

Kelso then explained how after spending the most of the morning with Betsy, Brooke was going to a spa day with her mother so he had Betsy for the rest of the afternoon and early evening. He'd come down to Point Place to visit his mother but had decided to make a quick stop at the house of one of the hottest moms he knew. Kitty had of course let out a girlish giggle at those words.

And it was a quick visit but Kitty still appreciated Kelso dropping by and even bringing the baby with him.

With Kelso and Betsy gone and figuring that with all her basement babies already dropping by once for the day there wouldn't be any more visitors Kitty got ready to perform a task she had been putting off since morning. She picked up the phone and called her mother.

Wearing a large smile on her face Kitty wished her mother a Happy Mother's Day and they went on to have a pleasant conversation. For about five minutes. Things were going smoothly until Kitty mentioned how Eric was still in Africa and Bea reminded Kitty that it was her fault he was over there anways, how she shouldn't have let Red buy that shop, and how she should have learned from the ostrich farm her father had bought.

Kitty tired to keep her tone of voice happy and unbothered as she spoke into the phone, but the expression on her face gave away to how frustrated and upset she really was. Both Red and Hyde could see it from their seats at the kitchen table.

Finally not being able to take it any longer, Kitty hastily made up an excuse to her mother before quickly hanging up before Bea could get another word in.

Relieved to have that over and done with, the woman in the room sat herself down in her regular seat at the kitchen table sending over a look to the duo that were staring back at her, that said 'Don't judge me.' It was then that Hyde and Red had decided to share the decision they had come up with while Kitty was on the phone.

They were going to take her out to dinner that night to the new _and expensive_ steakhouse—a restaurant Red had been hesitant about going to until Hyde said he'd pay. Kitty had been overjoyed with the idea. She loved getting dressed up and would be having dinner with two of her favorite boys, and the fact that this would be the second meal of the day that she didn't have to cook was a definite plus.

Later that evening the trio had arrived at the restaurant, that just like the diner from Hyde and Kitty's lunch, was filled with other mothers and their families. But the large crowd didn't affect the time the Formans and their adopted son had at the steakhouse.

The dinner had been filled with stories, laughs, food, and drinks. There had been a mutual agreement that Kitty could have as many drinks as she wanted since it was Mother's Day, but ironically by the end of the meal Kitty less than half way through her second Manhattan. The good time she was having with her husband and adopted son had moved alcohol to the last thing on her mind.

After the check had been paid, by both Hyde and Red—Kitty had argued for him to do so and then won the argument by reminding them that it was still Mother's Day, the three headed back to their house.

When they had arrived home Red had almost immediately gone up stairs to go get read for bed and before Hyde went down to the basement to do the same he told Kitty 'Happy Mother's Day' once again and gave her another hug that was a little longer than the one he gave her in the morning and this time had used both arms. Hugging him back Kitty closed her eyes and smiled a smile she wore all the way up to her bedroom.

Which was where she was now, lying in bed already dressed in her pink nightgown. The sound of the water from her husband's shower filling her ears and the thought of the day's events filling her mind. There had been a lot of them and she had enjoyed them all but with so many things having happened Kitty found herself ready to get some sleep.

Still she knew it would be pretty pointless to try to fall asleep with Red still in the shower. She never could have decent slumber without getting her goodnight kiss from him and giving him his. It wouldn't be much longer that she would have to wait up for him but not wanting to waste those few minutes she decided to do a little reading.

Kitty reached over to her nightstand for the hardcover book she was currently reading and as she slid the book off the table two envelops fell from underneath it and onto the carpeted floor.

Furrowing her brow just slightly, Kitty looked down at the two envelopes. One was smaller than the other and looked to haven been made out of blue construction paper while the other was white and obviously store-bought.

The older woman stretched her arm towards the floor and grasped both packets; when she brought them up for a closer examination she noticed the construction paper one had a writing scrawled on the front side saying the words _'Read First.'_

Following the two worded instructions Kitty placed the white envelope on the bed and kept the blue construction paper one in her hands. Carefully she pulled out the triangular flap that had been tucked in to seal the envelope close. She then slid out another art work made with construction paper, but this time a light purple shade and when she turned it over she found a beautifully designed cover.

There was a strip of green construction paper pasted vertically in the middle of the cover page and at the top of it there were little bunched up pieces of pink tissue paper, positioned in a way that the formed a flower above the green strip that was obviously the stem. Underneath the paper made flower were the words _'To: The Best Mom in the World_' written in blue crayon.

Kitty couldn't contain her smile as she looked at the master piece. However as she continued to study the design she realized she had seen something quite similar to this card years ago when Eric was still in grade school and he'd given it to her as a Mother's Day card. This made Kitty smile even more and she couldn't help but notice that if this card had been made at the same time as Eric's all those years ago, the condition was very well kept—the tissue paper was a bit smashed but that could easily be explained by all the time it had been kept in the envelope.

Not wanting to wait any longer and feeling very curious to know what was inside the card and who it had been from, Kitty slowly opened the card to the inside page. More writing in the same blue crayon was written inside and as Kitty took a closer look at the handwriting it became familiar and yet different at the same time. Still wearing her smile on her lips she began to read the blue message.

_5-11-69_

_Roses are Red_

_Violets are Blue_

_It's Mother's Day_

_And I Love You!_

_Dear Mrs. Forman, _

_First, sorry about that lame poem on top. I didn't come up with it. Mrs. Weston did and she _

_made us all write it down in our Mother's Day card for our Moms._

_I hope you don't mind that I'm giving mine to you instead of my own mom. I just thought _

_you'd appreciate it more, and you do deserve it a lot more than she does. Sometimes I _

_wish you were my own mom._

_I hope that didn't upset you either or ruin your day. Because if anyone should have a Happy _

_Mother's Day it should be you. Just like cover of the card says, you're The Best Mom in the _

_World, even if you're not my mom._

_-Steven J. Hyde _

By the time Kitty finished reading the cards contents she had her eyes shining with tears. She wasn't sure what was the biggest reason behind them though; the fact that Hyde had given her this card today, or that he'd held onto it for all these years. Maybe it was because of the over all words that a young little Hyde had written or just that last line in the second paragraph and the fact that it had eraser marks around it showing the debate the little boy had had about even adding the line in before trace over it with the crayon.

Even though she wasn't quite sure of the main reason behind her tears she did know that she loved her adopted son for sharing with her this card that she adored and already had plans of storing it in the box she kept all the other Mother's Day cards her children had made and given to her over the years.

After wiping her eyes with the side of her hands, Kitty carefully placed the handmade card back in its handmade envelope. Once it was tucked back inside its covering Kitty placed it on her lap before turning her attention to the second card that still lay on top of the blanket beside her. She had no idea what could be in that envelope or even why there was a second envelop in the first place but she was anxious to find out.

She opened this letter with not as much care as the first one, that one had been handmade and this one being store bought Kitty knew if she was too careful opening it she would be there for hours. Once the white envelop was opened she pulled out the card and turned it over, letting her smile grow even more when she saw the cover.

There was a blue watering pail with a bundle of various flowers coming out of it, the picture was like the one on Laurie's card in that it looked hand drawn but the picture on this card seemed to have more details on it. Written across the card, above the 'drawing' and in a pink cursive font, were the words 'Happy Mother's Day!'

With her smile remaining in place Kitty flipped the cover page to the left expecting to find a short pre-printed verse that had come with card, so she was surprised when she founf that the all words that were inside the card had been written with a black pen and in a handwriting she recognized right away.

_5-11-80_

_Dear Mrs. Forman,_

_Sorry if you were expecting another one of those corny Hallmark-y poems but I figured _

_you'd suffered enough with the one in the first card. I hope you don't mind me giving it to_

_you now, found it in my room the other day and thought if I gave it to you now it would_

_give me a little extra space in my room. I'm pretty sure you already realized that that _

_wasn't the complete truth and have already figured out my real reason so I'm gonna _

_move on to my next point. Never denying or __confirming__ whatever it is you're thinking._

_One of the reasons I'm giving you this second card is because I wanted to fix a couple _

_of things from the first one. I mean it has been over ten years since I wrote it, it's kinda_

_in need of an update. Hope you don't mind._

_There are two words missing from the first card. two very important words. Two words _

_you should hear almost every second of every day but don't. I know I hardly say it, _

_Red might tell you every few weeks or so, same for Eric maybe and Laurie, I'm guessing_

_every blue moon or so. Those words: Thank you._

_Thank you for all the things you do and all the things you've done. Thank you for being _

_there for us whenever it was that we've needed you. Thank you for all the bandages, _

_lollipops, and kiss on the head that came with every cut or bruise you've tended to. _

_Thank you for always remembering birthdays and making sure each of them was _

_special in its own way. _

_Thank you for all the homemade meals you've made us over the years; from the holiday_

_meals to everyday dinners, lunches, and of course breakfasts. And while on that subject, _

_thank you for sharing your grandmother's waffle recipe with me and teaching me how to _

_make them. It was pretty cool. Maybe we could have some more cooking lessons some _

_time, but next time not so early in the morning. If that sounds good to you. Thank you for _

_all the times you've made those chocolate peanut butter cookies—I don't know how you _

_did it but you always did have a plate of them ready whenever I felt like I wanted some._

_Thank you for teaching me how to dance. I still don't do much dancing but because of all _

_the steps you had taught me I don't ever get nervous when I'm near a dance floor. Thank _

_you for all the words of advice you've given, whether it was asked for or not…which _

_reminds me, thanks for shooting me. Thank you for taking care of us when we get sick, _

_your homemade soup is the silver lining I usually see when I get sick. _

_Thank you for taking the time to take me shopping for a jacket when my old one was _

_wearing out—you may have bought me the tackiest one seen by man but you did take me_

_back to get another one so I thank you for that too. Thank you for all the hugs, just like the _

_cookies you've always been able to know when we've needed one. And even though most _

_of the time we gripe on about it when you do hug us it's really just for show and we don't _

_mind them all that much. Thank you for believing in me and pushing me to do the things you _

_knew I could do, you were one of the first persons to do that. And just knowing that you _

_believed I could make something of myself gave me the kind of confidence I never thought _

_I'd have. _

_Thank you for convincing Red to take me in and for taking me in when Edna left. I honestly _

_don't think I'll ever be able to tell you thank you enough times or show you how thankful I _

_am to you for doing that. Thank you for never treating me like some charity case when I first_

_moved in or any time after, thank you for instead making me feel welcomed, making me feel _

_like I was part of the family, making me feel like I was home. Thank you for always treating _

_and caring for me and the rest of the gang like your own children. _

_Thank you._

_I wanted to take out a line from the first card. It doesn't really seem to fit anymore. Like I said,_

_it had been made over ten years ago. It's the line at the end of the second paragraph, the one _

_that says, 'Sometimes I wish you were my own mom.' I don't wish that anymore. Because I _

_don't have to. I know you are my mom. You are in every way but biologically and when you _

_look at all the other ways, biologically is the least important one._

_Happy Mother's Day, Mom._

_Love, _

_Steven_

_P.S. Wish me luck. If your reading this after dinner, I'm off working on your Mother's Day present._

_I'm hoping it goes well and not just because I don't exactly have enough saved up to buy you that_

_diamond necklace. _

Once Kitty had finished reading the second card she had just a few tears in her eyes but that was only because most of them had already rolled down her cheeks. She was so touched by the cards themselves and the fact that Steven had taken the time to write all those things—lately not even Eric's letter from Africa were that long in length.

And all the things he had written about, thanking her for all those things she had done for him and the family. They were things that she never felt she really needed to be thanked for but when Hyde did thank her in his message she realized how nice it felt. She wanted to go down to the basement right now and give him a hug and his own 'thank you,' but he wouldn't be there. He'd left to go talk to Jackie and that brought a large smile to her face as she wished him as much luck as possible—even she knew he didn't need much of it but she still sent it as a 'just in case.'

Then that last paragraph he'd written, his sign off, that last word in that short little since; her happy tears were pouring out like Niagara Falls by that time.

Sure it was a short word. Only three letters. And she'd heard it many times before over the years from both her son and daughter. She could remember the first time each of them had said it to her. (It had been in the form of 'Mama' but the meaning was the same.) Laurie had been eight months old and splashing around in the bathtub and Eric was sitting in his highchair, covered in spaghetti at ten months when he said it. Both times had made her feel like she was on top of the world and this time was no different.

Of course Steven hadn't exactly said it out loud to her but that didn't matter to Kitty. She knew he was always more of a quiet one and was a lot shyer than he let on. And she could hear his voice and could tell how much he meant each word as she read his letter, so when she read the line 'Happy Mother's Day, Mom' and heard Steven saying it to her, it made her heart soar.

Trying to keep more tears falling, Kitty closed her eyes and grabbed both of Hyde's letters in her hand before holding them close against her heart.

Just then Red walked into the bedroom, already dressed in his pajamas, he looked over at where his wife lay with a small smile on his face but the grin soon diminished when he saw the state she was in.

"Kitty?" he called out, concern in his voice and a slight frown on his forehead.

She didn't reply though making Red realize he was going to have to figure this out on his own. It only took him a few seconds to come up with a possible explanation, an explanation he was sure was correct, and explanation that did not make him a bit happy.

"Damn it." he growled, "Which one of the dumbasses was it and what did they say?" he questioned in his loud gruff tone.

Kitty opened her eyes and let out a small giggle at how protective he was of her.

Red wasn't sure why his wife was laughing but at the moment it was the last thing on his mind, "Come on Kitty, tell me who it was. I don't care which one of them it was." he declared, "I don't care if it was Eric, I'll get on the next flight out to Africa and shove my foot straight up his ass!"

"Red, honey, it was nothing like that." she assured with a smile but tears still in her eyes.

Curious, but still ready to defend and stand up for his wife against any of their children, Red made his way to his side of the bed and climbed onto the mattress beside Kitty. Once he was seated Kitty waved him over and pointed to a section in the open card she held in her hands.

The bald man looked at his wife questioningly before following her finger and reading the part of the message she wanted to share with him.

'_Happy Mother's Day, Mom._

_Love, _

_Steven'_

A smirk appeared on Red's lips just as the defensive mode he had been in disappeared. That had been the reason behind Kitty's tears. And they weren't sad tears they were tears of joy; he knew this because he knew how much Steven calling her 'Mom' meant to her.

"Ah." he said then gave a light chuckle and looked up at Kitty's smiling teary eyed face, "Guess this Mother's Day wasn't as bad as you thought it would be, huh?"

"No. Not at all." she replied in a small voice as she pulled the cards to her chest again and continued to smile.

Red's grin grew as he wrapped his right arm around Kitty's shoulder pulling her closer to him and placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"Happy Mother's Day, Kitty."

The End

* * *

><p><em><strong>Author's Note: <strong>__Soo what did you think? Good? Bad? Better than part 1? Delete and just keep part one? Please lemme know in a review I'd really love to hear from you!_

_Did you see what I meant about this being different from my usually writing? I'm not really sure what happened. When I first came up with the summary of the day in my head it wasn't as long as this. It was when I sat down and typed everything up that the characters took over again. And i know I could have easily added in some dialogue pieces at some parts but I really wanted to have the main focus of the chapter be Hyde's letters and Kitty's reactions. oh and sorry about the formatting of the letters..._

_Now more about the stressful morning incase your interested, it does kinda have to do with my fics. I have absolutely no idea what the heck happened but my USB deleted half the things in there! That meant my stories, notes for my stories and pictures! Ahh I was so mad so frustrated because I didn't know how the heck it happened and because I lost so many stories…latest chapter I was working on for 'Meet the Hydes' 'Nine Months' and notes for 'Two Weeks' Gone. Just gone. I'm really upset right now so if you could take the time to review and make me smile, it would mean soo very much. Not forcing you of course and thanks for letting me vent a little._

_And as a reminder this story is deciated to Moms and my own mom who had a new USB ready for me when my old one went psycho._

_Until next time. thank for reading, hope you liked, please review and lemme know what you think, see you next time, take care and have a nice day! _


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